


A Work of Art

by pandabearlawliet



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't tell me i'm wrong, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, F/F, Fluff, Geralt has piercings, I won't make it unbearable I promise, Idiots in Love, Jaskier dresses like a lesbian, Jaskier is Extra, Jealousy, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Jaskier, Renfri is a Sword Lesbian, Roleplay, Service Dogs, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, give me lesbians, oblivious Geralt, or give me death!, roach is a dog, the cafe is puppy themed, they're all nerds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22095004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandabearlawliet/pseuds/pandabearlawliet
Summary: If Geralt had known that taking this job would result in wannabe wizards and bards harassing him instead of getting their damn coffee and leaving every week, any god knows he would have never applied. And yet, Geralt can't bring himself to regret it.AKA the oddly specific AU nobody asked for where Jaskier, Renfri, Ciri, and Yennefer all play D&D together and Geralt is the grumpy barista who puts up with them and they plan on forcing to join. But the pets are actually the best and most important part of the story.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Renfri | Shrike (The Witcher)/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 52
Kudos: 226





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [siriuxblackk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuxblackk/gifts), [rercho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rercho/gifts).



> Not to be a total dweeb, but this is my first fanfiction so I'm sorry if it's not very good, and I'd appreciate if comments would stay nice, although I'm fine with people private messaging me with constructive criticism. Please be nice though, I'm way too sensitive. :((  
> I was just really really craving a long, cliché modern au, but most of the works released so far are oneshots or incredibly explicit (Which is fine!) and I decided to pick writing up to fill this void. If nobody is gonna make the niche dumbass dweebs in love book that I crave, I'll do it! Plus my campaign's DM canceled our session this week and I gotta get my fill of being the lesbian version of the 40 year old man with a fedora who lives in his mom's basement somehow!

“Fuck.” 

Geralt could honestly not be any more frustrated, flopping down facefirst onto his bed, remembering his day at work while his best friend and dog Roach sniffed curiously at him. His week was going by peacefully, and it was seeming like this day would be the same. There was a little less business than average in the cafe, the weather was nice, and Geralt found himself available to take time during his break to help himself to coffee and look out of the windows and think. Of course, this serenity didn’t last long.

The door jingled open, and a man stumbled in with a throng of people behind him, talking amongst themselves. As the man started walking over to order before sitting down, Geralt couldn’t stop himself from staring. He was smiling so unnecessarily hard that Geralt’s cheeks hurt just looking at him, and was dressed just as bright and loud as he came across. Eyes traveling down from his messy, yet somehow stylish brown hair to his smile and dainty gold necklaces, taking in his oddly patterned shirt tucked into loose-fitting pants with flowers embroidered down the legs. His jeans were cuffed and his shoes were just as immaculate as the rest of his outfit. Geralt wondered if it was possible to develop asthma this late in life considering how hard it was for him to breathe at the moment.

As Jaskier came up to the counter to order, he stopped for a moment with squinted eyes, before widening his eyes and pointing a ringed finger at Geralt in realization “So you’re the white wolf that all the ladies are raving about, huh? White hair, brooding face…” Geralt couldn’t even fathom how to respond, staring at him for a moment longer before asking for his order and name.

Jaskier sputtered before saying his order, then shuffled over to one of the larger tables inside to wait while the rest of his friends ordered. As he pulled out his character sheets from where they were folded in his pocket, he thought about the large, muscular man dressed in mostly black except for his apron that was company required. Who, according to his nametag, was named Geralt. Jaskier couldn’t help but think that with Geralt as the barista, he wouldn’t mind coming here many, many more times. Jaskier would probably follow to the ends of the earth for those muscles. Suddenly, Jaskier was broken out of his thoughts when his friend and dungeon master Renfri slammed down her supplies with a smile.

It was the first session of their newest campaign today and had chosen to meet up at Doggy Bones Cafe because of their open policy towards dogs. Although they could meet up anywhere and have Renfri’s service dog come, having an environment where it’s certain that they would all be welcomed equally was essential to their group. The dog, Luna, was as much a part of the friend group as everyone else. Renfri had even rolled to make Luna her own character, and Jaskier loved the idea of having Luna be in their campaign as well. It was both hilarious and adorable.

“Hey, Renfri?” Jaskier asked with a mischievous smile.

“What?” Responded Renfri, raising a brow.

“Luna needs her own seat at the table! It’s only fair.” Renfri would not win against Jaskier on this. Renfri did shake her head in denial but didn’t stop Jaskier when he coerced her dog into hopping onto one of the seats. If they got into trouble for it, their group had enough charisma to not get kicked out, he’s certain.

One by one they all come to sit down after ordering and chat while waiting to be called for their drinks, and character introductions begin. First is Yennefer’s character: Ophiyra the orphaned half-elf sorcerer who had to resort to being a criminal up into early adulthood. Her stats are fairly well-rounded except for charisma, which is her main strength. She’s tall for a half-elf and muscular, but prefers to stick to magic and her cunning ways. She has red hair, cut to her chin, and a body littered with scars as many adventures do. Then came Ophiyra’s companion, a large and quite fat bear named Buddy, the character based on her girlfriend’s dog. Ciri, by far the youngest of the group, is only thirteen, but is a welcome member of the campaign nonetheless. She is the designated baby of the group, and if anybody touched a hair on her head they would maul them in a heartbeat. Her character was a young tiefling druid who was lost in the woods with no memories farther back than a few days of finding herself in the forest lost and scared. She was found freezing and hungry by the party, and was taken in to join on their journey. Despite her humble beginnings, she is not to be underestimated, especially since she’s the perfect height to run her horns right into where it’ll  _ really _ hurt.

Then came Jaskier’s character, Frogger. Frogger is a bard and has an incredible passion for music and a compassionate heart. His goals are hindered however, by one uncontrollable factor: he is a kenku. A cursed race looked down upon by others. This race resembles humanoid crows who, while they can read and write in both Common and Auran, their speech is limited to mimicry using sounds and words they’ve heard before. However, it is noted that people of the kenku race are incredibly intelligent in their use of mimicry in order to piece together any sounds to their knowledge in order to communicate. Being adopted and raised by human parents, he has heard a fair amount of words in common to use at his disposal. Although he lacks strength, he makes up for it in dexterity and wisdom, while being proficient in both acrobatics and sleight of hand.

“So,” interjected Ciri, “he’s like a furry, right?”

The rest of the table turned to look at the girl in horror before Jaskier says in an offended tone that the correct term would be a “feathery.” Yennefer leans across the table in an attempt to strangle him as the rest of the table pipes up their opinions as well. Even Renfri’s dog, ever the good girl, seems to bark in indignation. From behind the counter, Geralt can feel a pounding headache already forming and can’t help but dread how rowdy they could possibly get if this is just the start.

Several hours later and many more refills, Geralt was either going to kill himself or Jaskier. Why the fuck is he being so damn annoying, and where the fuck did that instrument come from? Even if his hair wasn’t already white, it would be now considering the stress that these customers are causing him. He has nothing else to do, so he spends his time glaring holes into the man’s head while they loudly play pretend. It doesn’t do much, especially since when Jaskier finally makes eye contact with Geralt, he just gives him a smile and wave. Just when he thinks they’re never going to leave, Ciri glances down at her phone and tells the group that she needs to get back home to her grandma before dinner. As soon as Ciri says that, the group is clambering to finish and pack up their stuff and Jaskier is bringing out his car keys from his pocket with a smile “Come on princess, let’s get you home to the queen.”

Well, maybe that annoying man and his friends aren’t too bad...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is not really quite up to the standard that I want it to be, but I'm going to upload it anyways. I hope that I will improve as this story progresses, because I am hoping for it to be pretty long, and that you guys can be able to enjoy this chapter regardless. I will come back and edit the beginning chapters as I improve in my writing, but it'll never be anything that changes the events or plot of the story, and if I DO make significant changes, I'll always include it in the notes of my most recent chapter. I'll also post updates about this on my Tumblr page, sapphicwitcher. Also, it's so late right now I think my eyes are melting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter honestly doesn't have much going on, sorry!

Jaskier could not, for the life of him, get himself to focus. He had so much to do, yet his brain wanted to touch on so many other subjects instead. His head was filled with every wonder that he so very wished to be a part of his world. A golden dragon shining under the hot sun, looming over its enemies, a flash of white hair in the corner of an eye and glinting swords. He wants that in his life. The adventure, the inspiration. Jaskier yearns for it. Huffing dramatically, Jaskier’s head falls to his desk with a soft thud. Could he just write songs about badass sorcerers and handsome knights and dragons? Is there a demographic for that? Maybe. But, with so few fans of his music out there, Jaskier can’t tell if the thought of singing about his more eccentric fascinations is brilliant or ridiculous. These stories wouldn’t be real. Nothing more than the fantasies that swirl around his mind late at night. Insignificant.

After a while of trying his hardest to write a decent song, Jaskier decided to call it quits. Did he particularly feel for what he had written? Not really, but he'll try anyways. He then stood up, stretching his aching arms and legs, and trudged to his kitchen. There was little to no light coming through his apartment windows, and the night was fairly calm despite the sounds of the city below. As he reached into the cupboard for a glass, he felt a gentle nudge on his leg, startling a little.

“Butcher! Who’s a good boy?” cooed Jaskier, pausing to lean down to pet the ridiculously huge dog before continuing to get a glass of water. Butcher was white and fluffy and cute, although seeming to come across as mean to others. He’s just a cute little baby anyways, even if he would probably, well, butcher an intruder. Butcher just wagged his tail in response. They better get to bed soon.

\------

When Jaskier woke in the morning, he glared through the light that came through his windows. Stupid sun. After a couple of minutes just sitting there to fully wake up, he turns to see the time. His eyes widen in fear and he scrambles to get up and put on his clothes, struggling to get his legs into the pants in his rush. He’s gonna die. Renfri will kill him if she has to cover for him at work. He knows it. Maybe she’ll just kill him anyways for that time he lost one of her sets of dice. It’s pretty justifiable.

Half an hour later, he arrived at the retail store both he and Renfri work at together. It’s not his ideal job, but it pays much better than his previous job working at the local grocery store. Their demographic the store targets is a bit on the wealthier side, and he gets a sizeable discount on the items in the store. Working there with Renfri is pretty nice, and the salon that Yennefer works as a stylist at is in the same shopping district. Adulthood was going pretty well for him so far. Although he has to remind himself that if he’s always almost late, that probably wouldn’t last long. He can tell by the sharp stare of his manager. He couldn’t always trust to be this lucky. 

After work, Renri came up to him and smiled softly before elbowing him in the side. “Wanna stop by that cute cafe we went to the other day just to get coffee?”

Jaskier beamed back and asked, “Is your girlfriend coming?” as the fidgeted with the rings on his fingers.

Renfri gave a tiny frown to express her disappointment, “Nope, she has another appointment to finish.” but Luna remained panting happily by her side regardless, ever the happy dog. Personally, Jaskier was a little intimidated by the intense woman anyways, although he has learned to enjoy her. The three of them continue to walk to the cafe with Renfri and Jaskier excitedly discussing a show that they both were interested in at the time, and didn’t pause their conversation even as they finally came to their destination.

\------

“-ow! No, no no! There is no way that he would ever win The Great British Bake Off! Did you even see that mess that his showstopper was?”

Geralt startled from his thoughts and looked up to see who would be coming into the shop with a bothersome entrance like that, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards for less than a second before returning to a frown. At least there’s less of them this time. And he only smiled because of the cute dog, not because of the annoying tw- man, who seems to hold more regard towards his passion for baking shows than his own dignity. Does he ever shut up?

When Jaskier came up to order after his friend, this time he smiles and refrains from pointing at Geralt or gasping in surprise, to both of their pleasure. He made it through his order without doing anything obnoxious, which Geralt has assumed must be a struggle for him. Jaskier went for their table with a small smile and plopped down across from his friend, the chair scraping against the floor just a bit. As Geralt made their drinks, he couldn’t prevent hearing parts of their conversation. “When I’m famous for my singing, you’re gonna regret saying that you wish I was a kenku in real life!” 

“As if! Your player is gonna be the first one I kill off! I’ll have an enemy put fake wings on him and push him off a cliff so we can see if he’ll fly!” The girl couldn’t help but tease as her friend looked at her with his mouth open in horror.

...Are they speaking a different language? Knowledge is not an area that Geralt ever expected to be deficient in, yet their conversations are always something that seems to be from a field in life that he knows nothing about. It’s almost as frustrating as how loud the group is. Geralt imagines that if his inner voice was anything like their dynamic, he would start pulling his hair out. 

The rest of the time the group spent in the coffee shop went in a similar fashion, although at one point they diverge into a long conversation about what they’d give to do all sorts of things with a real-life elf. Geralt’s face distorts in disgust, and hopes that they were not talking about the myth of Santa Claus, because he sort of feels like the elves can be interpreted as a metaphor for child labor in countries that produce so much for the societies who emphasize the impor- So basically, he feels like his brain has dissolved into soup and will fall out of his head, and when the man turns around to wave by to him, all he does is grunt in response. How poetic. Hopefully, if they ever come back, they’ll be quieter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how much I love receiving comments and talking with you all! If you ever wanna private message me to ask a question or chat about the witcher or something, you can always message me at sapphicwitcher on tumblr!

There’s one thing in this world that Yennefer wants right now, and it’s for her goddamn girlfriend to pay attention to her. As the love of her life, she should absolutely be told what her big scheme is for this campaign, because she knows that there’s gotta be one. She’s certain, and she’s determined. There is no room for failure. Yen never fails, and as she takes aim, she knows that she won’t.

Renfri is laying on the couch so that her head hangs upside down and her hair just barely grazes the floor. It’s pretty. She’s pretty… and cute and strong. But pretty gets you kisses, not mercy. Never mercy. So, when her eyes cross as she’s hit with a wad of paper right on her forehead, Yen doesn’t give herself the luxury to think of how cute it is, and instead pounces to lay on top of her with as much bodyweight as she can. “Are you going to pay attention to me now?” she questions with a sly grin, even though she knows that her girlfriend won’t be able to see it.

“No, you oaf! It’s a game, not a war, and I need to treat you equally! You can’t have everything!” 

Yennefer huffs out a laugh, “I think you know that I can and will have  _ everything _ ,” and she sits up, pulling her partner up to sit properly against the leather back of their couch, allowing for them to stare face to face. Pulling a smile, Yen leans closer and mutters “Don’t you think I deserve it?” before planting a soft kiss on Renfri’s lips.

For a moment afterward, both of them are silent. Renfri’s cheeks just barely red, showing how flustered she really is. And then, like a strike of lightning on a sunny day, Renfri’s hand flashes towards Yennefer’s face. With the smallest little thwap, Renfri has bested the greatest sorceress in all realms of fiction and reality with a mighty flick to the nose. She reigns victorious. Taking advantage of Yennefer’s shock, she moves off of the couch and raises a fist in victory before lowering it back down to point at her lover. “At this point what you deserve is me to kill off your character so you have to spend ages making a new one, and don’t doubt that I’ll do it. Bribery with affection will get you nowhere ahead of anyone in this! And besides, can’t you just wait a bit longer? We have another meet-up tomorrow, you’re so impatient!” However, her smile remains the whole time, revealing how amused she actually is by Yennefer’s determination in getting even the smallest of victories. And if she sits back down next to Yen and picks up the book she’s currently reading before cuddling into her side? That definitely would be so sappy that she would deny it to anybody who asked. 

\------

Determination was rushing through the veins of a man on a mission. The results of this could be life-threatening. If Roach didn’t like her dog food, he didn’t think he’d ever forgive himself. The normal brand that he got for her was nowhere to be seen as he intently stared at the empty spot where it was supposed to be. He had the urge to find whoever took the last of it and punch them right in the face.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar extravagantly dressed figure lean against the aisle right beside him, elbow propped on the beige painted metal. “I love the way you just… stand there and brood,” he smiled, “It seems like you always do that. My name is Jaskier, I go to the cafe you work at, sometimes.” When Geralt doesn’t respond, Jaskier just keeps on talking. “Oh, can you not find the dog food you need? Have you looked in the other aisles? People tend to place stuff back where it doesn’t belong! I just came to get a toy for my puppy,” he holds up a stuffed squirrel and squeaks it, “But I thought I saw either you or a really tall old lady when I saw your hair, and I thought it would be a nice experience either way! If you don’t find what you’re looking for, I could always ask for you, I know one of the girls who work here. Quite lovely, she is. I’m sure she’d help,” Jaskier paused and stared for a few seconds before continuing, “You don’t talk much, do you? Do you not like talking? You’ve taken my order before, so I know that you can, but I know a  _ little bit _ of sign language if that would help? No? Nothing? That’s okay-”

Geralt finally turns to the man and grunts out a frustrated, “Do you ever stop talking?” Before he turns away to look through the rest of the aisle to see if the dog food he’s looking for was misplaced or if he can find a brand that he’s familiar enough with. Yet Jaskier continues surprisingly unphased, following him around and talking enough for the two of them.  _ Wouldn’t most people have left after that? _ Geralt only half listens at best, but finds that he isn’t quite as annoyed by Jaskier as he should be, and even impresses himself by not punching the shorter man when he calls him a “grumpasaurus” and then seems impressed with what he’s just determined Geralt as.

“Wait, that actually suits you quite well! You’re really tall and strong looking, like a dinosaur, but you’re always like GRRR,” Jaskier mimics a growl and curls his hands up at his face like talons, “Just like a grumpy puppy whose been put in a dinosaur costume!” That analogy did not go where Geralt was expecting it to. He feels like he’s gonna have an aneurysm, and when he’s finally left the store and away from the neverending stream of words, he almost sighs in relief. 

Jaskier walks home with a smile and determination to make a new friend. He can’t wait to call Yen and Ren about who he just saw, and an idea he just had.

\------

“So you’re saying that you want to get the sexy barista to play Dungeons & Dragons with us?” Yennefer inquired in amusement.

“W-well, yeah, I guess. I mean, I know he has work to do when we get there and he barely knows us, but like maybe one day we can get him to join us when he has an off day?” Jaskier felt nervous about it for a reason that he just can’t place.

“Ok, it’s a plan, don’t worry. I was just making sure I remembered what you said on the phone yesterday right.”

“This sounds like the type of crap I can get down with. But I agree that we should definitely play the long game with this. Especially considering I have big plans for you guys today.” declared Renfri. Jaskier couldn’t stop himself from having flashbacks to when Renfri threatened to kill Frogger and shudders.

\------

Renfri looks up from where she’s rolled the dice and smiles menacingly. Frogger’s deception was ineffective. As bandits circle around him, he knows that if he casts a spell and rolls too low, there’s no way he’ll make it out alive. And yet, before he could even make a move, Cub, Ciri’s druid, is able to let out a menacing roar before taking the form of a beast. The situation was dissolved easily, albeit with much blood.

“Son of a... Renfri why the hell do my characters always end up being bait?” Even though Jaskier knows that if Renfri truly wasn’t playing fair it would’ve been much worse for him. “And don’t use the ‘pretty boy’ bait argument! Frogger is an ugly little gremlin bird and the baddies don’t know what I look like!” Although he was shouting, it was pretty obvious to anybody around that Jaskier wasn’t truly annoyed… and from where Geralt is standing, even though he has no clue what the hell is going on, can’t help but disagree with Jaskier. “Pretty boy” seems like a trait that should probably effect Jaskier way more often.

The two women, Yennefer and Renfri, are holding hands with each other and laughing together as the group keeps bickering and teasing each other while playing. It’s sweet, and their relationship seems healthy. Jaskier and Ciri are both fawning over Luna and making affectionate noises with wide smiles at one point. Yennefer makes another attempt against Jaskier’s life while the rest laugh at his face. They all seem incredibly close. There’s a pang of some feeling that he doesn’t understand in his heart at the sight, and Geralt doesn’t quite know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geralt you fool that's called loneliness. Also, I'm continuing the next chapter from where I left off in this one.


End file.
